A Simple Promise Before We Go
by Shion-chi
Summary: A slightly alternate telling of the battle at St Murond and the night before the battle at Murond Death City.


It's a story I wrote for Valentine's Day... IT'S STILL V-DAY!!!!

Ahh.... I really like this. I think this is the best thing I've ever written ever... Lol. That means something because I always hate my stuff I write.

Happy Singles Awareness Day~

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"We shall go with this tactic for our next objective. Alma is being held in St. Murond Temple." The only sound in the room that could be heard was this youth's strategy. His small band stared at the marks he drew on the piece of paper detailing the strategy they would use. Ramza Beoulve had just lost his name. The Beoulve was no more than heretics now. The more influential of his brothers was now dead. "We'll attack from both the front and back of the Temple."

He looks up at the group with his hardened deep blue eyes that go well beyond his seventeen years of life wanting to know what they thought of the plan. He did not want his mates to die if he could help it. It was he who led the group to battle. It was his orders that they followed. It was his decisions that made the different.

"I think it's a great plan Ramza!" An energetic female knight with long auburn hair clapped her hands loudly. She looks to the friend who is sitting at the table cross legged across from where Ramza sat. "What do you think Alicia?"

"I agree with Lavian. It's a good plan." Alicia says with a monotonous voice. Her face rarely showed emotion and her ash brown hair bun seemed to really fit her well. "Lady Agrias?"

"I have no qualms with it." The Holy Knight says. Agrias was leaning against the wall listening to Ramza speak with her arms crossed and eyes closed as if to absorb his voice, concentrate on it.

"I trust Ramza's decisions." Meliadoul says while staring out the window of the tavern. One can never be too careful, and Meliadoul had the best eyes of the group, clearly the best option for a lookout. The group was travelling with a heretic after all. Not even Agrias's status as a Holy Knight would help the group.

Rad just nodded his consent from where he sat at the left side of Ramza.

"We will need to split into two groups for this." He runs his fingers through his blond hair while staring down at his plans. He was still unsure of this. He was unsure of everything he was doing. He fights for justice, but he often wonders if what he was doing was actually justice. Just how many people has he killed? He sees them every night in his dreams, those nameless faces. How many husbands, sons, daughters, lovers has he killed? How many souls from Yuguo Woods were caused by him?

He feels a tender hand on his back. She lightly rubs it as if she knew what he was thinking. He looks back at Agrias who give him a small and barely noticeable smile. How rare for this warrior woman. He regains his confidence and looks back at the group. "I will lead the charge. Who will join me?"

Rad starts to raise his hand but Alicia brings it straight back down. "Lady Agrias will."

"I second that!" Lavian chimes in. The two look over at Agrias who immediately stiffened.

"W-what are the two of you suggesting?!" She stammers as her face turns red. "Insubordination!" She points at the two knights under her command.

"The both of you work so well together." Alicia points out. She starts to reason with her captain. "The two of you working together are an unstoppable combination. Not even Orlandu can defeat you two."

"T-that might be true, but it's St. Murond! Who knows what sort of trap they have lying there?" The Holy Knight has her left arm on her heart and the other arm wide. She spoke the truth. The place was bound to be heavily guarded, especially if Alma Beoulve was there. She knew that the two of them were strong, but help would still be much appreciated.

"I think the two of you will be fine." Rad speaks out for the first time.

"You too Rad?!" Agrias stares at him in disbelief. The most logical and calm of the group agreed with the proposition."

"If it's just the two of us, I think it'll be okay." Ramza stood up from where he sat and looked at all his comrades. Each one was special to him. They had formed a trust with each other and went through many things together. There were the sad times but just as many good ones. "Just don't leave us out there for too long."

"Ramza! Be more responsible!" Agrias whines. "Let's get Orlandu or Mustadio to help."

"No time, every second is precious. I think we'll do fine with the six of us."

Agrias sighs deeply at what had just taken place. She would be alone with Ramza during the attack. She looks at Meliadoul for some help. All she got was an encouraging smile.

"We'll march tomorrow morning at sunset. We'll need all the rest we can get." Ramza gets up and leaves followed by Rad as they head for the inn to retire for the night.

"Good job Alicia!" She raises her hand.

"Indeed." Lavian slaps it for a high five. Meliadoul follows the two young men out the door.

"Lavian? Alicia? What is that about?" Agrias towers above them, anger filling her eyes. She cracked her knuckles demanding an explanation. She was truly a fearsome sight at that moment wearing the bulky clothes that made her seem even larger.

"Lady Agrias…?" Lavian backs off slowly keeping her distance from the angry woman.

"It was strategy." Alicia says quickly. She takes Lavian's hand and the two take off following the other three.

"You'll thank us~" Lavian could be heard yelling back to the tavern.

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"Are you happy about the plan?" Meliadoul pulls her gown down and straightens the ends.

"It's a good plan." Agrias replies sitting at the edge of her bed. She looked at her trusty sword leaning against her bed. On the other side of the wall next to her bed would be Rad and Ramza's room. The other wall by Meliadoul would be Lavian and Alicia's room.

"Are you happy?" Meliadoul sits next to Agrias. She asks a very strange question. What's to be happy or unhappy about?

"Happy about what?" She asks slowly confused about the type of answer she wanted. She could feel it was going to become very uncomfortable.

"That you'll be alone with Ramza." Agrias knew it. It was about Ramza again. Why do these girls keep insisting that the two of them be together? It wasn't going to happen.

"Why should I be happy about that?" She looks away from Meliadoul. It's like her eyes are staring right through her soul. "It's great that the two of us work together, but that's so we can achieve our objective."

"You're lying." Meliadoul smiles. "Take this chance to make it clear. Tell him you love him."

Agrias looks down and laughs. She looks down at her hands covered in calluses from years of holding a sword. "Me? Love Ramza? When did I say I loved him? Don't get carried away, I don't think anything of him at all."

Meliadoul's smile turns into a frown. "I see… Sorry to bother you then." She gets up and goes back to her bed where she lies down.

"I've sworn my sword to his cause. That's the only reason I'm here." Agrias mutters. "I will not go back on that vow."

"Yeah. Justice." Meliadoul waves her hand and rolls on her side facing the wall. "I'm going to bed. You should get some rest."

"He probably doesn't even see me as a woman…" Agrias mumbles as she lies down and stares at the ceiling. Sleep starts to blanket the inn and its inhabitants. "I'm just a knight, a Holy Knight, captain of the royal guard… Gender doesn't matter… Nothing else matters…"

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"Are we all ready?" Ramza looks over the small group standing at the port of Goug Machine City. The sky was still dark, but rays of sun could be seen creeping up from the horizon. He turns and looks across the ocean. On a little island lies the Temple where they were keeping his sister. "_Alma, I'll get you back…_"

"Yes! We're ready!" Lavian says excited. Rad and Alicia nod. Meliadoul gives Ramza a small glance. Agrias didn't even need to be asked. This was all business for her. She is always ready. To be unprepared means death.

"We're boarding." The small group gets on the boat that will take them to the small island.

"You guys ready?" A familiar voice asks them.

"Let's go Mustadio, to St. Murond Temple." Ramza nods and gives the captain of the ship a pat on the shoulder. He walks to the cabin to see Agrias leaning against the side of it.

"Is something wrong?" He asks her. She keeps fidgeting with her sword.

"Does it matter?" She snaps. Immediately she regrets having said such a thing. She looks down away from his face. After snapping like that, she doesn't dare to look at his face. That conversation with Meliadoul was really bothering her inside.

"Sorry." Ramza apologizes. She could feel his concerned look on her. "I can leave."

"Ah… No… Sorry, I didn't mean that." Her face was slightly flushed as she continues to look down. "I'm okay. Thanks for worrying."

The worry in his blue eyes disappears as he leans against the wall next to her.

"You're not nervous about what's to come are you?" He can't imagine this always calm woman to be nervous. He wanted to know what she was thinking to be so fidgety at all was abnormal.

"No, I'm just gathering my thoughts." She returns her gaze to the young man beside her, her face going back to the usual cold gaze. Her hazel eyes staring straight into his blue eyes. The eyes of a knight undeterred. She now knew what she had to do. She was Agrias Oaks, captain of her Highness's Knights. She swore upon her sword to follow out his ideals to carry out justice. She will no longer forget that. She was a warrior, nothing more. The conversation and guilt of last night's conversation is completely washed away.

The young man watches the knight as she closes her eyes and focuses. He feels it best to leave her undisturbed and quietly walks away to check on the others in his party.

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"Watch the boat Mustadio."

"Will do."

The ship moors on the beach at the far side of the island out of site from St. Murond Temple. The group slowly makes its way through the lush greens of the island. Going through the port and up the road is out of the question. This was a sneak attack.

"Who's idea was it to put a temple here?!" Lavian complains as she sloshes through the mud. It'll be difficult to traverse the terrain wearing the heavy armor they did.

"Don't complain. This is a sneak attack." Rad replies. "You could take off your armor." He is the only one who isn't wearing any.

"How much longer?" Meliadoul shouts out from the back. She could be seen fanning herself with her hand. "It's too humid. My armor is too hot."

"Taking off your hood might help a little." Agrias turns around and tells her.

"No thanks." Was the reply.

The small group continued for another couple of hours walking through the jungle making idle conversation to pass the time. Even Agrias was unusually engaged in light hearted banter, a welcomed change from how she usually acted. Soon however, the group stumbled upon a large clearing where the massive church building stood. Everyone grew silent with a glance from Ramza. He pointed to the back of the church and the group nodded. Alicia, Lavian, Meliadoul, and Rad made their way to the back of the church and Ramza went the opposite with Agrias following closely.

Agrias stared at the entrance and counted eight guards. She looked at Ramza who seemed to agree with the number.

"Are you ready Agrias?"

"Do you even need to ask?"

Ramza shakes his head. Of course not; this woman had honed her skills and senses through several years of training. Her talent and abilities were unparalleled.

"There are eight enemies. Think you can handle it?"

"_**We **_can handle it." Her cold analyzing gaze softening into a smile.

He nods and the duo jump from the brush. Ramza quickly runs the nearest mage with his sword instantly killing him. He then turns and runs to another mage where he quickly slashes him twice racking another kill.

"Absorb power in the sky and strike! Lighting Stab!" Agrias swings her sword and two knights are hit by lightning from the heavens killing one and greatly injuring the other. She rushes towards the remaining knight and kills him with a slash. She then turns to a lancer who was charging at her, the distance was still fairly wide. "Heaven's wish to destroy all minds… Holy Explosion!" Light burst forth from the ground. The lancer drops his lance and falls to the ground. She rushes to him and runs her sword into the soldier's skull. She looks up at Ramza as he finished the rest of the mages. Ten minutes had not even passed since the attack started and all eight guards are dead.

The two nod at each other and run to the entrance of the Temple and kick the doors open at the same time. The two enter the building back to back holding their swords at ready. Slowly they slide in until they are in the middle of the large entrance room. They slowly circle until they scanned the entire room. It was a large empty square room with a few decorations on the walls.

"It's too quiet." Agrias comments as the two separate. She starts to walk to the walls as the two looks for a secret passage. This cannot be the only room in a building that looked so large from the outside. She runs her hands along the wall feeling the surface. It was way too quiet for anyone to be here. "Have we been fed false information?"

"Ramza?" She turns to find Ramza with a knife through his chest fighting a Ninja. She rushes to his aid only to stop. Her finely trained senses tell her she's about to die if she doesn't move. She quickly jumps to the side as another Ninja falls from where she once stood. She coldly glares at the new enemy. She needed to help Ramza.

"The doom of a planet… Crush Punch!" She swings her sword at the enemy, but he's no longer there. The attack missed. She quickly turns and blocks the dagger thrown at her. The enemy charges her and swings his blade. She parries it with her sword, but another sword is swung. "Kuu…" She spins backwards to avoid getting her arm slashed. She dashes backwards and looks over at Ramza. He was breathing hard. He needs help. She wasn't about to let him die. She turns her eyes back to the enemy as he once again charges her. She smirks. Never charge an enemy in a straight line.

"Heaven's wish to destroy all minds…Holy Explosion!" Light forms from Agrias's feet towards the ninja. He trips losing all control over his body. The momentum takes him to Agrias's feet where she stabs her sword into the back of the ninja's neck.

"Ramza!" She turns her attention to her partner. He sat on the ground with the other ninja lying dead in front of him with his neck slashed, his sword laid by his side. She rushes to his side and leans him against the wall. She quickly pulls the dagger out causing blood to squirt from the wound. "I'll help you right now!"

"Life's refreshing breeze, heal from the sky! Cure!" She closes her eyes and presses her hands on his chest. Magic flows from her body into his. When she feels she has done it, she opens her eyes and sees the wound has closed. "Thank god." She releases a sigh of relief and gives Ramza a hug.

"Are you alright Ramza?" she releases her embrace and looks into his eyes.

"Yeah. Thanks. It's a good thing you were with me." He smiles. "I'm kind of glad I got injured. I got to see a different side of you."

"W-what are you saying?!" She could feel her face grow hot. He quickly scurries away from the young man. She shakily points at him. "I was only doing what I had to do! It would be troublesome if you died on me!"

"Of course." He looks down sadly. "That's all it is."

She quickly stands up and shakes her head. "Wait! That's not—"

Agrias's body shudders as a foreign entity enters her body. She feels a warm liquid start to run down her belly and back. She looks down to see a blade protruding from her front. She looks at Ramza then at the sword she had left by his side. She then turns her gaze at the one who had stabbed her. "Formav…" Her body shudders once again as the sword is removed from her belly. She raises her leather gauntlets to her mouth and looks at her hand once more. Blood. She was going to die. She loses energy in her legs and falls to the floor.

"AGRIAS!!" Ramza picks up his sword and charges Formav who parries the attack.

"Hold it! She's still alive!" He points at the girl on the ground. A loud scraping sound could be heard as two others joined Formav. "But for how long, I don't know."

"Where is Alma?!" Ramza shouts.

"Relinquish the Scriptures and the Holy Stones and I shall spare her life." He says.

"I will give neither until she is brought to me!"

"This is not a negotiation. Either you forfeit the Scriptures and the Stones or you forfeit your beloved sister's life." He then looks at the girl who is barely conscious. "Not to mention time is running out fast."

"It hurts…" Agrias says faintly. She looks up with blurry eyes to see Ramza looking back at her. Tears were streaming down her face. "I don't want to die… There's so much I want to do…"

"Here are the scriptures." Ramza tosses the book. "I'll keep the stones until I know my sister is safe."

Formav quickly looks through the book.

"Well?" says a man next to him.

"It's all here. It's all too simple." Formav closes the book. "We have everything we need. We might as well avenge Velius while we're here."

"What?" Ramza says in shock. Formav charges at Ramza. He quickly parries. A three on one fight was really disadvantageous to him. He also didn't have any time. Agrias could die any second. He grinds his teeth as his brain runs at three hundred kilometers per second.

"Ramza! Lady Agrias!" He hears a yell as a wall from the far side starts to slide. Lavian and Alicia appear.

"Tch." Formav could be heard.

"Father!" Meliadoul and Rad follow the other two knights.

"Lady Agrias!" Lavian shouts seeing her body and the pool of blood.

"No! Lady Agrias!" Alicia starts to rush to her side, but is blocked by another person. "Out of the way!"

She swings her sword only to swings through air as he back steps. However, Lavian jumps and brings her sword down on his head only to have her blade blocked by a gun.

Agrias stares at the scene that unfolded before her. Ramza, everyone was in trouble. Through eyes that can barely see, she identifies her sword. It had been kicked to her in the scuffle. She musters her strength and slides her lifeless body towards her weapon. Ramza, everyone, they needed her help. She is the Holy Knight Agrias, captain of her Highness's knights. She was not allowed to lie down as long as she still breathes.

With her bloody hand, she grips her sword and tries to raise her body, but such an endeavor is too much for her as she loses consciousness.

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"Hnnn…." Agrias's eyes fluttered open. As her eyes regained sight, she saw a white ceiling.

"Ah. You're awake." A familiar face appears in front of her. Agrias turns to get a better look. Her eyes look into those kind blue eyes. Her gaze wanders around the room. She was lying on a rather large bed in a simple plain room with a couple chairs by the bedside and a dresser on the far wall with a small window over it. The curtains were closed, but one could tell it was morning from the light that came through. There was also a head table with a glass of water.

"Reis…" Agrias slowly tries to prop herself up, but is promptly stopped. Reis put her hands on the shoulders of the knight keeping her lying down. She smiled and shook her head. Agrias nodded and laid her head down.

"You're still weak. You need to rest." Reis removed her hands and sat in one of the chairs beside the bed.

Agrias's brow furrowed as she remembered what had happened to her. Her hand moves to her wound under the covers and she feels bandages wrapped all around her. She starts to get up again. Reis quickly got up and held her down once again. Agrias gives Reis the usual face she wore, her gold hard gaze.

"Where am I?" She had to understand the situation she was in.

"My home in Gariland Magic City."

"What happened at St. Murond Temple?" She should have died there.

"I don't know. All I know is that you were brought here close to death. You'll have to ask Ramza or one of the others. None of them have told me anything."

"Where are they right now?" By the sounds of it, everyone was alive. She was relieved. If any of them had died, she wouldn't know what she would have done.

"Ramza and Rad will be back soon. Meliadoul, I have no idea where she went. Lavian and Alicia are in the living room."

"That's good." She sighs relieved. Reis removes the pressure she had on Agrias and sits on the bed next to where Agrias lay.

"How are you feeling?"

"Tired." Agrias mumbles. That little conversation took a lot of her strength. She closes her eyes and lies in the comfortable bed.

"Good." Reis smiles. "Then rest."

"Yeah…" She replies as she succumbs to sleep.

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She feels a soft and tender touch holding her left hand. She gently grips the hand and opens her eyes to see his face. He was the one holding her hand gently stroking it with his thumb. He was the one watching her sleep. Realizing this, she quickly pulled her hand back and covered crimson face with her hands.

"There's no need to hide Agrias." Reis said from the door. It looks like she had just entered. "He was holding your hand the whole time you were out. Well, except the first time you woke up."

"W-what are you saying Reis?!" Ramza stood up quickly causing the chair he sat on to fall down. He quickly picked it up and sat back down, his cheeks clearly flushed.

"Did you really?" Agrias widened her fingers and looked at Ramza. This made Ramza look away and scratch at his cheek. He was clearly embarrassed that she found out. Somehow, this made Agrias really happy inside although she would not admit it.

"Lavian and Alicia tell me that Ramza was also the one who carried you here." Reis added.

"What are you telling her?!" Ramza turns to Reis who just keeps smiling. She winks knowingly and waves her hand shoving off Ramza glare. "She didn't need to know that."

"You're hungry right Agrias?" Agrias nods to her question. If she was only out for a day, it would have been two days since she had eaten. Reis smiled kindly at the two left in the room and left closing the door behind her.

"Are you alright Agrias?" Ramza returns to sitting at the chair. Agrias looks at the curtains and see that were is still light. It must be evening.

"How long was I out for?" Agrias asked as she propped herself up into a sitting position.

"You we—"Ramza stops as gaze drops down to the large naked bust before him. A pink shade started to color his cheeks as Agrias followed his gaze down. Realizing she wasn't wearing any clothes, her entire face turned into a deep shade of red as she pulled the covers up to cover her chest. Angrily she glared at the Ramza who was now looking away. "Sorry… I didn't mean to…"

"You saw didn't you?" She asks in a quiet voice forcing her fast thumping heart to slow down. Ramza on the other hand was having trouble swallowing. He always thought she was captivating, but this formerly strong woman now seemingly defenseless was making it difficult for him to keep his rationality.

"I…" Ramza thought. Should he tell her the truth? Should he tell her what she wanted to here? What did she want to here? No, he decided he would just dodge the question entirely. "You were out for 2 days." He answered the previous question. His gaze was still down at the floor away from this beautiful woman.

She felt that he wouldn't answer the question no matter what she did knowing his stubborn nature. She gave out a sigh of defeat and softened her gaze and voice. "It's okay Ramza. Thanks for saving me. Were you able to rescue Alma?"

Ramza looks up at Agrias with a pained expression. "Everything got messed up. It was my fault. I didn't plan things well enough."

"W-what happened?" She asks taken back from the flood of emotion in his voice. Clearly something bad must have happened after she had lost consciousness. She can't even imagine if it rattled him this badly.

"Formav tricked me into giving him the Scriptures. He probably never intended to return Alma." Ramza fell to his knees onto the floor looking down as his hands. He was shaking terribly. She moved a little closer to his side and reached to offer him and hand only to pull it back as he continued.

"And then, as I was trying to save you, Formav had to do it again. He made me choose. Save you who was barely alive or save my brother, Zalbag, who was already dead." He buried his face into the covers. "I was too indecisive. I tried to save you both, but that ended up taking too much time, and it was inevitable. Zalbag was too strong for us. We didn't have a chance to save him. He was already dead. He was a zombie. I put him down my own hands… These hands!"

He slams them down on the bed. Agrias could tell he was crying. She wanted to comfort him, but there was nothing that came to her mind. She reached out and started to run her fingers through the young soldier's blond hair. He looked up through teary eyes at the kindness she was showing him.

"But you found where Alma is at least right?" She used her intuition as a knight. Ramza was gone earlier meaning he had to be calling for reinforcements. It was probably a dangerous place they were holding her at.

"Yeah… Murond Death City. The gate is at Orbonne Monastery."

"See." She leans over and hugs his head. "You found out where your sister is, not to mention you saved my life. I'll always be grateful to you."

"You've saved my life more times than I can count." He remains in her embrace. The kindness she shows him now is too much.

"That's not true. If anything, I've been saved by you." She says from the bottom of her heart. Several times, he had saved her, not just physically, but mentally. When she wondered why she fought, what her reason was for fighting, he gave her a purpose. She now realized just how much she needed him. This whole ordeal, this failed mission, her almost dying; all of it made her realize just how important he was to her.

"Looks like you two are doing fine." Agrias and Ramza look at the door and quickly separate. Reis enters the room with Agrias and Ramza looking down, both their faces clearly red.

"What happened? What happened?" Lavian could be heard as she followed Reis in. Rad and Alicia soon followed.

"It looks like you're doing well Lady Agrias." Alicia takes a place opposite the side Ramza sat.

"Yes. Thank you all for looking after me." Reis brings in a tray and places it at the head table. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling great, perfectly capable of going into battle right now." She smiles as she takes the bowl and spoon Reis hands to her.

"I wouldn't doubt that." Rad comments making everyone laugh. After a few minutes, Agrias had finished eating and everyone was having a good time.

Reis clapped her hands loudly. "Alright boys, shoo." She waved her hands at the boys then motioned towards the door.

"What? Why?" Rad questioned, but Ramza blushed as Reis pulled out a blue tunic from the dresser. He quickly made his way to the exit dragging Rad with him.

"Were you naked all this time?" Lavian asks shocked.

"Uh… I guess so." Agrias nods very embarrassed. It was a difficult task to stay covered during the time she found she had no clothes on.

"I cleaned and fixed the hole for you." Reis handed the familiar article of clothing to its owner who looked the piece over before putting it on. Reis then handed her the trousers which Agrias gladly put on. "You're such a beautiful woman Agrias. It's such a shame to always see you wearing that bulky armor."

"W-what are you saying?!" Agrias instinctively crossed her arms across her chest covering her body. However, what Reis said appealed to Lavian and Alicia as well as the three turn their gaze to Agrias and stare at her.

"Lady Agrias is incredibly cute now that you mention it." Alicia's monotonous voice says.

Lavian came onto Agrias's bed. Agrias started to move away as Lavian made her advances until she couldn't make up any more. Lavian slowly reached a hand out and Agrias looked at it scared.

"W-what are you doing?" She asks as Lavian rubs her hand on Agrias's cheeks and lips.

"You're skin is so soft… It's kind of unfair." She pouts.

"What are you saying?" Agrias moves off the bed and stands up wobbly. "You all are much more beautiful than me, especially Reis."

"Give yourself more credit." Reis goes to the door. "You're just as beautiful and charming as me."

With that she took her leave of the room with Agrias looking at the closed door. She then turns her attention to her two knights, both of whom are now hugging her crying on her shoulders.

"We're so sorry." They sobbed. "If we only planned more carefully, this wouldn't have happened to you."

"It's okay you two." She smiles and strokes their hair as if they were children. "I'm happy. Really I am. I understand everything now."

"Really?" Lavian asks through teary eyes.

"Really." Agrias smiles in reply.

"You seem much gentler Lady Agrias." Alicia comments.

"I guess so." She laughs a little. The old Agrias would never laugh, but she was newly born. She realized her feelings and they had set her free.

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Ramza gazed out the window towards the direction of Orbonne Monastery where his sister was. It was well past midnight, but he was too burdened with too many things to be able to sleep. The lives of both his brothers now stained his hands. It was hard to believe on a quiet night like this Ivalice was in the midst of a war.

Ramza closed his eyes as he shook those thoughts of guilt from his mind. I shouldn't think of the bad things I've done, but of the good. I've killed many, but I've saved countless lives including Mustadio and more recently Agrias. Agrias…

Ramza hears a sharp knocking sound at his door as if answering his thoughts. He opened the door to see the one he just thought about to his great surprise. The moment earlier in the evening came to mind as he looked at this Agrias who stood at his doorway looking down at the ground.

"Agrias…" He says softly. She looked much smaller, much frailer without her armor. She was always beautiful, but she seemed much more radiant tonight.

"Can I come in?" She says in a small voice nearly inaudible voice keeping her gaze to the ground.

"Of course." Ramza opened the door wider and closed it as soon as the young woman stepped through. His heart was thumping at a faster and faster rate. What could Agrias want at this time?

"It looks like this will be it, our final battle." Agrias finally looks up at Ramza. It was the usual cold gaze. It was a determined one.

Ramza opens his mouth and closed it. He looks into her sharp hazel eyes and returns her gaze with his own. He grips onto her shoulders tightly. Agrias remains unmoved.

"I've always wanted to tell you this, something I could never say in front of the others, in front of anyone else." He pauses and takes a deep breath. His heart starts to race even faster as a myriad of thoughts raced through his mind. "I-I love you. I've always loved you." He felt his face grow hot. He wanted to move his face anywhere except looking at her, but he kept his gaze on her. It didn't matter that this person was one of the highest ranking military officer or that she was four years his senior or that she was one of the strongest knights. He just loved her, everything about her.

The young Holy Knight's face grew flushed at the confession. Her gaze softens as tears start to flow down her cheeks. "I love you too Ramza."

Their lips meet in a soft kiss as the two embrace each other. The two separate after a short moment and look at each other as if knowing what each wanted. This night would be special, this night never forgotten. She wanted him to always love her. She wanted him to never forget her. She wanted him to be with her forever.

Their lips meet once again as Ramza pushed her back to the bed where he falls over her. Her tongue seeks his as they continue the dance. First a dance in her mouth, then he guides her tongue into his and they continue there. His taste was sweet to her as they exchanged saliva. His hands moved to caress her and massage her breasts. The pleasure she felt from his touches left her wanting more.

Their lips finally part with the two gasping for air. Her lover started to undo the strings on her clothes as she undid his shirt and pulled them off his body. She ran her fingers lightly along his body toned through countless battles and hardships. He stared at her heaving mounds, slim waist, and curvaceous hips. She lay before him naked without any pretense. No man could resist her. He wanted to ravage her body. He wanted to make her his.

His hand cupped one of her breasts as his fingers sunk into its depths. He continued to massage her and caress her as he rained kisses down her neck, each filled with more affection and intensity than the last. His kisses continued down her body to her unattended breast. He started to run his tongue in circles leaving a trail of saliva as he tasted her skin, savoring it, not getting enough of her.

She bites her finger as her back arches from his touches, his caresses. She feels his hand slide down her body to her thighs. His touches are soft and gentle, but demanding as his finger starts to run up and down her slit. She gasps at the sudden shock that runs through her body. The stimulation is intense for her who has never tasted the flesh of a man. She grips her lover's body tightly.

"Ramza… Please…" Agrias manages to say through ragged breath.

He pins her down to the bed and spreads her legs apart. She feels the head of his manhood push up against her. Their breathing becomes wild with desire. Ramza looks up hesitating slightly looking into her face.

"Ramza, please, make love to me." The woman whispers into his ear.

Without another thought, he grabs her hips and slides his desire into her. Agrias cries in pain as the organ is pushed into her, filling her completely. Her barrier of maidenhood had long been broken through the many training exercises and battles she had been through, but she was still a virgin, one who had never tasted a man.

"Are you alright Agrias?" He wipes the tears from her face.

"I'm alright." She smiles through the pain. She holds her arms out to him and whispers, "I want you to love me."

As if in apology, he showers her with kisses. He holds himself inside her before pulling out slowly and thrusting back in. It was taking his all to move this slowly, so terribly slowly for her. He felt he would lose his mind at this pace. She was so hot, so tight, but this was for her. He loved her and he wanted her to feel the same pleasure he did.

"How is it?" Agrias whispers concerned.

"It's so hot and tight, but I'm more concerned about you. Does it hurt?"

"Pain? Yes… I suppose so." She's still squirming in pain, but she does seem to be relaxing a little. However, her muscles are still clamp tightly on his member. "But…"

"But?"

"It's just strange that someone like me is capable of doing this."

"What are you saying?" He smiles. "I love you."

"Yes, but I never imagined I would do this with a man." She returns his smile. She quickly frowns as his face turns into a grimace.

"Are you in pain?" She runs her fingers down his trembling body.

"Ah, no. It's just, you feel so good." He kisses her softly on her head.

"It's okay to move more. I'll be alright." She smiles at him reassuringly.

Ramza was slow and gentle, but as she became more used to it, he gradually became more passionate. Her juices now cover his entire sex. Her insides become more and more slippery making it a lot easier to move and increasing their pleasure, but she still remained as tight.

She wrapped her arms around his body holding him tight to her, feeling his warmth throughout her body. Her moans and purrs of pleasure rang through his ears as he pushed his hips deeper into her. Her slender fingers moved all around his body feeling him, caressing him, stroking him. Their lips meet once more as they feel the heat from each other. His tongue shoots into her mouth deeper as if the depth his tongue reaches will allow him to penetrate further into her core. The tongues dance hungrily. The kisses were so sweet. She never wanted to stop. She wanted to be like this always.

Her muscles tightened around him as her moans grew louder. Her hips were now moving to join his with every thrust, their speed increasing. Her muscles started to tighten even further. He did his best to hold his climax in as he continued to thrust carrying her through her orgasm before he felt his body start to shudder as he pushed one last time and released his desire within her depths.

"Agrias…"

"I can feel it inside me…" She whispers as it continues to shoot into her in short bursts. "There's so much…"

The two lay there for a few minutes, panting for breath, before either of them moved. He started to pull out when Agrias wrapped her arms around him keeping him inside.

"I want to feel you a little bit longer." She says.

Ramza replies by giving this beautiful young woman a soft kiss on the top of her head. She returns his kiss with a soft smile.

"I belong to you now." Agrias says softly.

"What are you saying?" Ramza hits her head lightly. "You're not a thing to possess."

"Even so, I'm happy that you would do this with someone like me." She giggles. It's such a cute response from a girl in love. Love really does change a person. They had both changed ever since they met each other, they both knew.

He feels is desire rise again at her giggles. He was still inside her and those small motions were too much of a stimulant. She clearly notices his sex expanding within her and smiles embarrassed. His face turns a deep shade of red as he looks into her eyes. She returns his look and nods.

"Do you want to do it again?" The young man asks embarrassed.

"I don't mind." With that, he quickly grabs her hips and turns her around.

"W-wait! What are you doing Ramza?" She falls to an elbow and tries to cover her bottom with her free hand. She tries to crawl away, but he holds her hips firm. She looks back at him, her entire face hot with embarrassment at having her bare bottom stare at his face. "Don't look at it!!"

"It's very cute. It's nothing to be embarrassed about. Everything about you is cute." He moves her hand away and takes a single thrust. He pulls out slowly and sees his organ covered in both their fluids. Just the sight of it turns him on. He wanted nothing more than to find pleasure in her. "I want us to remember this night forever."

She turns away to hide her embarrassment, but she was still happy that he said she was cute."Then… I don't mind. I'll do it whenever you want to, however you want to." She just wanted to be with him always.

Her words go right past his head as he pushes into her. The folds are different than how they were when they did it the first time. They both felt a different type of pleasure doing it in a different position. He started to quicken his pace relishing in the newfound feeling. He grips her bottom tightly as he pumps his hips back and forth. Her moans tell him that even though she was initially unwilling, she was feeling it just as much as he was. He was a little worried that doing this again so quickly much hurt her, but hearing her feel this way washed the worries away. He increases his pace again causing the young woman to shriek.

"W-wait..." She manages to gasp out weakly. "Don't be so… rough. You'll… break me."

He had lost his reason long ago. He ignores her pleas and rams into her even harder. Her voice shakes at his relentless motions. He feels her muscles contract around his member. Over and over he can feel his head hit the entrance to her being. They were like a couple of animals. They sought the pleasures only found of the flesh.

The arms supporting Agrias give out as she falls onto her chest. The increased angle increases their pleasure as he continues to ram into her depths. Her fragmented breath matched the rhythm at which he pounded.

"I'm coming Agrias." He groans as he thrusts deeply one last time. His lust flows into her as she shrieks from her own climax. His legs own legs give out as he falls on top of her limp body.

"It's so warm…" She mumbles at his seed flowing into her. She lay on the bed motionless. "There's so much…"

He finally pulls out to see his seed spill from inside her onto the sheets leaving a puddle. "It's flowing out…" She has a hint of unhappiness in her voice. Her desire closes, red from its use, as his seed continues to flow out.

"It won't stop." She rolls on top of her lover and smiles at him.

"Sorry." He apologizes. "It must feel sore now."

"You're saying some embarrassing things." The young girl giggles. "Tell me; are you happy you did it with me?"

"Why are you asking? Of course I am." He says like it's absurd. "I wouldn't want to do with it anyone but you."

"Then can you make me a promise?" She looks at his face.

"If it's something I can do, I would do anything." Was his reply.

"It's a simple promise before we go for Orbonne tomorrow." Agrias reaches her hand out and he intertwines his fingers with hers. "Promise me we'll always be together Ramza."

"Yeah. We'll always be together Agrias." He holds her body tightly to his with his free arm. She smiles happily as sleep falls over her. He watches his lover sleeping happily still holding her body, her hand, as sleep takes him over as well.

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Meliadoul knocks hard on the door a couple times before entering the room. "Agrias come on. It's been a week. You can't lie around forever. You haven't eaten anything in a week."

The lump in the middle of the bed barely moves. Crying sounds could be heard from it. Meliadoul sighs and pulls the covers off to reveal a sobbing Agrias curled against her pillow wearing the same clothes she wore when they entered Orbonne Monastery that day.

"What would Ramza say if he saw you like this?" Agrias grabs the covers Meliadoul had removed and pulled them back over her head as she continued to cry. She knew what he would say. He would probably tell her to forget about him and to find happiness elsewhere, but she didn't want to forget. She loved him too much to ever forget. Her happiness was with him, but that disappeared with him.

"He's not here to see me, so it doesn't matter." She replied.

"Tch. Come on! At least go to the funeral!" Meliadoul was getting angry.

"What's the point? They won't even give him a proper burial." Agrias retorted. "Only Alma. He was a heretic."

"Then at least go and pay your respects to both of them!" Meliadoul once again tried to wrest the covers from the girl, but she held onto them tightly. Clearly she did not want to see anyone.

"Go away." Agrias sobbed. "Leave me alone."

"We can't do that." Reis enters the room. "Come on. Get up, get dressed. It's not good for you to cry all day and night."

"Shut up! None of you understand how I feel!" Agrias screamed. Meliadoul takes a step back from the sudden outburst. She hangs her head down and walks out of the room. She knew just how much Agrias loved him.

"At least eat something." Reis leaves a tray at the head of the table and closed the door to her room.

"Why me? Why did I live and not you?" Tears filled her eyes once more as she sobbed into her already wet pillow. "Ramza…. You even promised me… We would always be together…"

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That's it. So...? What do you guys think...? Reviews and comments are always nice. 6^^;;


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